Ultimate guide to grants for solar PV panels in Ireland

In this article we cover:

• Full timeline of applying from the grant including all milestones
• How much can you get?
• What is the PV company responsible for?
• How do you keep track of your application?
• How do you pay the PV company?
• When to go with a One Stop Shop instead of a one-off grant
• What to check on your grant offer
• Documents to submit to get paid
• Quality of workmanship: buyer beware
• Inspections

Who’s eligible, how much can you get and how to apply.

The PV grant in ROI is a government initiative that forms part of the Microgeneration Support Scheme which helps reduce electricity costs and promotes the use of renewable energy.

 The grant is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), among many other grants such as insulation measures and solar thermal panels (which generate hot water instead of electricity).

 The PV grant is available to all homeowners, including landlords, and applies to homes built and occupied on or before December 31, 2020.

 The home needs to have an MPRN (electricity meter number) and you cannot avail of the grant if previous funding for PV has been secured at your MPRN.

 To get the grant, you must go through one of the 500+ contractors registered with the SEAI; the full list of registered PV contractors is available on seai.ie

How much can you get?

The following rates for PV panels are applicable in 2026, as announced by government; note that there are no grants available for batteries (these were axed in 2022):

 • €700 per kWp up to 2kWp, e.g. €1,500 for 2.5kWp solar panels

• €200 for every additional kWp up to 4kWp, e.g. €1,600 for 3kWp solar panels.

 The maximum grant amount is €1,800 for 4kWp solar panels.

These grant amounts are to reduce by €300 a year, so unless the current grant amount is extended in 2027, the maximum amount will reduce to €1,500 in 2027 and to €1,200 in 2028.

 Two years ago, government sources confirmed the grant would be axed in 2029 but that could change.

What is the PV company responsible for?

Once you’ve selected your installer, you will sign a contract. The PV company is responsible for ensuring your installation meets best practice, along with the required installation and technical standards of the grant scheme.

 They are also responsible for arranging for an SEAI registered installer to complete your installation and submit all relevant documentation to the SEAI. The installer will complete the installation, declare that the solar PV installation meets this grant scheme requirements and will complete and sign the Declaration of Works Form.

Keeping track.

You must apply online via seai.ie; through this portal you can log in at any time to check how your application is progressing. For instance, once your documents have been submitted by your PV Company, you can check the status of your request for payment.

It’s also the place to double check the bank account details are correct. Bank details must be for your account (the applicant) or the solar PV company’s account, depending on the terms of payment you’ve agreed.

How do you pay the PV company?

Make sure the terms of payment are clear from the start, i.e. when the deposit is to be paid, when the balance is to be paid, and what retention applies if any. The payment terms should be included in the contract you sign with the company.

 You will be expected to pay a deposit at the point of signing the contract with your installer. The balance is either paid on completion of works or shortly after installation, after issuing final paperwork. To avail of the grant, you either:

 • Pay your supplier in full and have the SEAI pay you the grant at the end, or

• The grant amount is deducted from your invoice and the supplier claims the grant amount from the SEAI.

 If the supplier is paid by the SEAI directly, you effectively assign the grant to them. The SEAI pays the installer directly after the work is completed. Remember, the SEAI only pays the grant once the installation is complete and all required documents (including BER) are submitted and verified.

Consider a One Stop Shop

If you plan to carry out other energy upgrades on the entire house, i.e. get it to a B2 energy rating with insulation and other measures, and have a bit of a budget to do so (a full retrofit costs tens of thousands even after the grant), it’s worth investigating going through a One Stop Shop.

 A major benefit of opting for a One Stop Shop is that windows as well as ventilation system upgrades are subsidised. The other benefit is that the One Stop Shop looks after the entire retrofit project from start to finish and your grants are deducted upfront which helps with cash flow.

Grant Offer

Make sure the details in your letter of grant offer are correct. Your grant is only payable for the measure, size of installation, named company and grant amount in the offer letter.

 To change your chosen company, you’ll need to cancel your existing application by contacting [email protected].

You can then reapply with the correct company. This can only be done if the works have not started.

To change the size or type of installation, email that same address before works begin; you won’t need to cancel the application, but you must get approval from the SEAI before starting otherwise you won’t get the grant payment.

 Note that if you cancel an application and then recreate a new application, and the grant amounts have changed in the meantime, you will be eligible for the grant amount in effect at the time of creating the new application.

 Eight months from the date of the letter of offer, the grant expires and will not be paid.

Documents to submit to get paid

Your PV company must submit the following for you to make a request for payment:

• Declaration of Works (completed and signed by the installer)

• Photographs of the installation as described in the Declaration of Works

• Inspection, Test and Commissioning Certificate

• Safe Electric (‘RECI’) copy of Certificate

 • Completed ESB Networks NC6 Form

• Invoice describing the works completed.

 You are responsible for getting your post-works BER done, i.e. you must hire the assessor and supply them with the information they need to carry out the assessment.

Once done, your BER assessor will publish the results on the National BER Register and no further action is required (no need to provide copies, it just needs to be published on the register). Before paying the grant, the SEAI will review all documents submitted and will verify your installation meets the scheme requirements.

 Buyer beware Only get quotes from SEAI registered installers; the grant won’t be paid if you don’t go with an SEAI installer. However, remember that hiring someone from the list is not a guarantee of good workmanship.

 The most recent data available for quality assurance shows most SEAI grant scheme operators are not working to the best standards. You must therefore do your due diligence by checking how long the company has been in business and their credentials. The SEAI does not approve, guarantee, or warranty any company or their works, even if they are on their register.

Buyer beware

Only get quotes from SEAI registered installers; the grant won’t be paid if you don’t go with an SEAI installer. However, remember that hiring someone from the list is not a guarantee of good workmanship. The most recent data available for quality assurance shows most SEAI grant scheme operators are not working to the best standards. You must therefore do your due diligence by checking how long the company has been in business and their credentials. The SEAI does not approve, guarantee, or warranty any company or their works, even if they are on their register.

Inspections

Some PV installations will be inspected by the SEAI, as part of its quality assurance (QA) programme. If your home is chosen you’ll be asked to produce all invoices, receipts and documents of completion of works for presentation to SEAI personnel.

 Regardless of whether or not the house is inspected, it’s good practice to keep a copy of these documents, for resale purposes. If your home is inspected and reworks are necessary, your contractor will need to make a return visit.

 Once inspections reworks are complete, payment will be processed two weeks after. For any technical advice or queries, the SEAI technical team is on tel. 012776977 or email [email protected]